Sitting furniture of the knockdown type



Sept. l; 1953 F. oHLssoN SITTING FURNITURE OF' THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE 4 Sheets-Sheecl l Filed Oct. 6, 1949 Sept. 1, 1953 F. oHLssoN 2,650,656

SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Filed oct. e, 1949 4 SheGiS-Slw 2 Sept. l, 1953 F. oHLssoN 2,650,555

sTTTING FURNITURE oF THE KNocKDowN TYPE Filed oct. e. 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Sept- 1, 1953 F. oHLssoN 6 2,650,656

SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Filed OGL. 6, 1949 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 ,a F15. /z/

Patented Sept. 1, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE SITTING FURNITURE OF THE KNOCKDOWN TYPE Application October 6, 1949, Serial No. 119,812 In Sweden October 28, 1948 Claims. (Cl. 155-196) This invention relates to an improvement of sitting furniture cf the knock-down type, such as easy-chairs and sofas, and a special object oi the invention is to provide means enabling the parts of the sitting furnitureto be mounted and interlocked in mounted 'position in a particularly simple way without any tools whatever and using a minimum of furniture ttings.

Another special object of the invention is to provide means for supporting the seat at the rear from the furniture back only and at the front from the supporting furniture frame only, While the parts still are positively interlocked in mounted position with the aid of a small number of simple means, whereby the furniture architect has great freedom in giving the furniture its desired form. In particular itis possible, if desired, to dispense with the border edging of the side frames of the piece of furniture, vwhich extends along the lateral edges of the seat and which was necessary in the hitherto known constructions.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of some examples of the invention illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Fig. l shows a perspective' View of an easychair of the invention in assembled position.

Fig. 2 in a like manner shows an exploded view of the main parts of the easy-chair.

Fig. 3 shows a partl of a vertical section through the back and the seat of the easy-chair in parallel with and adjacent to one side frame of the easy-chair.

Fig. 4 shows a section on line IV--IV of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 shows a horizontal section on line V--V of Fig. l.

Figs. 6 and '7 show two fittings used in the easychair and adapted to be interlocked.

Fig. 8 shows a vertical cross section through the interlocked fittings in Figs. 6 and '7.

Fig. 9 shows a section corresponding to Fig. 3 through a modified embodiment of the invention.

Fig. l0 shows the inner side of the front portion of an easy-chair side frame having a modined tting for securing the frontend of the seat to the side frames.

Fig. 11 show sfsa section on line XI-Xl of Fig. 10.' ii

Fig. 12 is a side view'of` a further modification for securing thefront end'of the seatto the supporting frame of the easy-chair.

Figs. 13 and `14 show sections on line XIII- -XII'I and XIV-XIW'respectively, of Fia-12.

The easy-chair shown in Figs. l to 8 comprises two side frames I, a back 2, a seat 3 and a pad l placed thereon, Each side frame I has a front leg Ia and a back standard Ib terminating in a rear leg. Near the upper end and approximately at a level with the mounted seat 3, the back standard Ib of each side frame I has a pair of fittings 5 and 6 which are screwed fast to the back standard and provided with an opening 'E of keyholeshape having its wide end at the tcp. The back 2 is provided at its two side edges with two screws 8 that are not screwed in completely and the heads of which may be inserted through the wide portions of the keyhole openings l ci the fittings 5 and Ii and pushed down into the narrow portions of the openings '1, through which narrow portions the heads of the screws t cannot escape. The back standards Ib have of course recesses s behind the openings l of the ttings 5 and 6 to accommodate the heads of the screws 8. The two side frames I can thus be steadily connected with the back 2 in that the heads of the screws S are inserted through the wide ends of the keyhole openings 'i of the ttings 5 and 6, whereupon the back 2 is pushed downwards approximately along the rear edges of the side frames so that the heads of the screws 8 engage with the opening edges of the fittings 5 and 6 at the narrow lower ends of the openings 1, it being thereby possible to make the connection almost free from play by adjusting the depth to which the screws 8 are screwed into the back 2. In the embodiment shown in Figs. l to 8, the back at the lower end has a horizontal groove I in which a key I I mounted on the rear edge of the loose seat 3 may be inserted by the seat being pushed backwards a short distance, so that the rear end of the seat will be applied, with the downwardly facing surface of the key II, against the upwardly facing side wall of the groove I0. rThe rear end of the seat 3 is thus supported from the back 2 only without the aid of the side frames I. At the two ends of its rear edge the seat has a rearwardly projecting extension or lug I2 which on pushing the seat 3 back wards to provide engagement between the key I I and the groove I, engages under an end portion 6a of the lower tting 6 on the respective back standard. This end portion 6a is bent and projects from the inwardly facing side surface o1 the respective adjacent back standard Ib. When assembling the back 2 connected with the side frames I and the .seat 3 in the manner described, the back 2 is thus locked in mounted position, for when urging the back 2 upwards in relation to the side frames I to move the heads of the 3 screws 8 up into the wide portions of the keyhole openings l', the back 2 will tend to carry along the rear end of the seat 3 on account of the engagement of the groove I6 and the key II, which however is not possible due to the lugs i2, attached to the seat 3, being applied with their upper sides against the downwardly facing surfaces on the bent ends Ea of the lower fittings t mounted on the back standard Ib of the side frames I.

The seat 3 on one hand and the back 2 and the side frames I on the other are` interlocked in such a way that the front end of the seat may be tilted up and down through a certain distance without the engagement between the groove It and the key II or the engagement between the lugs I2 and the bent ends 6a of the ttings 6 being cancelled. The groove I is somewhat wider than the key I I in order to permit the mentioned tilting of the front end of the seat 3.

The said tilting movement of the front end of the seat 3 is utilized to lock the seat in position with the key II engaged with the groove I0 of the back 2 and with the lugs I2 engaged with the projecting abutments 6a of the side frames I. For such a locking of the seat 3, the front leg a of each side frame I is provided with a seat fastening member in the form of a fitting I3 which is shaped to form a wedge groove which is open at the top and tapers downwardly. Said wedge groove has its side walls that are formed of bent marginal portions I3a. of the sheet metal fittings it (cf. especially Figs. 5. 6 and 8) constructed for dovetail engagement. To cooperate with the two fittings I3 the seat 3 has in front on each side a fitting I4 of sheet metal having the form of a wedge for engagement with the wedge groove of the respective fitting I3 (cf. especially Figs. 5, 7 and 8) When securing the seat 3 it is pushed backwards towards the back 2, the keyv II being at a level with the groove I0 to engage it, while the front edge of the seat is tilted upwardly to such a degree that the fittings I4 of the seat are situated at a higher level than the fittings I3 on the front legs Ia of the side frames I. After the rear end of the seat has been engaged with the back 2 and the abutments 6a of the side frames I, the front end of the seat 3 is lowered so that the wedges I4 are pushed down from above intol the tapering and dovetailed wedge grooves of thev fittings I3 between the side walls I3a thereof. Each wedge I4 is provided with a leaf spring I5 having a hole It to engage a small projection I'I on the pertaining tting I3 when the wedge I4 reaches its lowermost position of engagement with the wedge groove of the fitting I3. The spring I5 automatically snaps into engagement with the projection I'I when the front end of the seat 3 is tilted downwardly and ensures that the seat cannot inadvertently come loose due to pressure or pushes from below on the front edge of the seat. When it is desired to dismount the assembled easy-chair into its main parts it is sufficient to remove the loose pad 4 and to press with the fingers on the upwardly projecting ends of the leaf springs I5 of the fittings I4 and at the same time to tilt the front end of the seat upwards so that the wedges I4 are lifted out of the fittings I3, whereupon the seat is pulledforwards to release it from the back 2 and the abutments 6a of the side frames I. Dismountingof the easy-chair is completed by lifting the back 2 to withdraw the screws 8 of the back from the keyhole openings 'I of the. fittings5, 6.

The invention is of course not limited to the embodiment described above and illustrated in Figs. 1 to 8 of the drawings, for many modifications may be resorted to within the scope of the annexed claims. As a instance, Fig. 9 shows a modified manner of interlocking the. rear end of the seat, the back and the side frames, so that the front end of the seat may be tilted up and down. In the embodiment according to Fig. 9, the back 2 has, like in the embodiment described above, screws 8 to engage keyhole-shaped openi-ngsin fitting-s. 5 onthe back standards Ib of the side frames. bntfinthe embodiment according to Fig. 9 there are used fittings 5 both at the top andl at the lower position on the back standards. In the embodiment according to Fig. 9 the abutments '6a of the fittings 6 used in the embodiment according to Figs. 1 to 8 are replaced by a special fitting I8 fixed adjacent; the back standards Ib to a bar I9V extending between said backV standards andthe front legs, of the sidev frames. Each fitting I8 consists. of a sheet metal plate having a lower edge 20 curved... upwardly at the front, against which: the upper side of a tenon 2,I projecting from the respective; side edge of the seat 3 is applied when the` seat is mounted.

To supportA the rear end of the seat and to interlockthe seat 3 and; the back 2 there is used a somewhat different construction in the embodiment according to Fig. 9 than in- Figs. 1 to 8. In Fig. 9 the back 2 has at its lower edge a forwardly extending slat 22 and the rear end of the seat 3 is,k formedwith a. groove to receive the back slat 22 so that the seat in mounted position has a downwardly facing' surfaceA4 23 engaging over the slat 22 and bearing against the upwardly facing surface of thek slat 221, thereby supporting the rear end of the seatr from the back only and preventing, lifting of the back.

Due to the form given to the. rear edge of the seat 3 and to the slat 22 of the back 2 aswell as due to the position chosen for the tenons 2I and thefittings I& itis possible to tiltA the front end of the seat up and down also in the embodiment shown in Fig. 9, after the seat has been moved into engagement with. the back 24 and the fittings I8.

Figs. 10 and 11V show a. modification of the arrangement, for supporting and, lockingthe front end of the-seat. Insteadfof the fittings I3 on the front legs Ia. usedin the. embodiment according to Figs. 1 tol8there;isnow used on each front leg a keyholefitting 24. identicalwith those used for the back inv Figs. 2` and 9., excepting that the narrow portion of the keyhole opening 'I at. its lower endhas; a smallenlargement. 'la which is however considerably smaller: than the widened portion at the upper end of the keyhole opening.

Mounted` on` each, side edgev of the seat 3 is a fitting plate 25 with a hole, in. which a bolt 26 extending. through the seatframeis displaceable. The end of the bolt` 2,6 projecting out of the plate; 25 hasV a relatively, bis, head 21. on its side facingk the tenon the head is provided with a smalll conical. projection 28, through which the headisconnected with the` tenen. The head 21 is of such, a diameter thatr it may bepassed through the upper big widening1 portion of the keyhole opening 'L o f thetting 2.4.into the recess 9 of the front leg Ia behind the fitting 24, whereafterv the, tenon- 2t` may, be moved. through the narrow portion of the keyhole.V opening 'I to the lower small enlargmentlathereof by. tilting the frontA end` of theseat.. 3 downward.V On. thel end opposed to,v the headatheftenom iisprovided with a screw thread to engage with a wing nut 29, by means of which the head 21 may be pressed against the fitting 24 when the bolt 26 is situated in the enlargement 1a, the conical projection 28 penetrating into the enlargement 1a and preventing a relative displacement of the front end Vof the seat 3 and the front legs la longitudinally of the keyhole opening 1, as long as the wing nut 29 holds the projection 28 of the bolt head 2i in engagement with the enlargement 'la of the opening l.

Of course the head 2'! of the bolt 26 and the tting 2li may be provided with other projections and recesses than the conical projection 2B and the enlargement la. Thus the bolt head may for instance be provided with a projection .of square cross section on its side facing the bolt to engage an approximately square-shaped enlargement of the lower end of the keyhole opening l, or the marginal portion of the fitting 24 may be provided with teeth or other projections or recesses at the lower end of the opening 1 on the side facing the seat for cooperation with corresponding recesses or teeth or other projections on the side of the head 27 facing the bolt for connecting the bolt head and the fitting.

Figs. 12 to 14 show a third embodiment for supporting and locking the seat at the front end. In this embodiment the front legs la o-f the side frames are inter-connected by means of a transverse bar 30, the ends of which are provided with screws 8 to engage keyhole fittings 5 of the same type as those used at the top for the in Figs. 1 to 8. The fittings 5 are so arranged that on securing of the transverse bar 30 it must be moved downwards in relation to the front legs la, and the fittings are arranged in shallow recesses 3i milled into the front legs and fitting the transverse bar, to prevent rotation of said bai` about the axis of the screws 3.

The seat 3 rests with its front portion directly on the upper side of the transverse bar 30 and is held in this position by a tenon 32 displaceably mounted in each side member of the seat frame 3a. In mounted position of the seat said tenori 32 penetrates into a hole 33 in the inner side of the adjacent front leg ia. The tenons 32 thus vprevent tilting of the front end of the seat upwardly and away from the transverse bar 30 carrying the same, whereby said transverse bar is at the same time prevented from moving upwards to the position, in which the screws 8 of the transverse bar may be withdrawn from the keyhole openings 1 of the fittings 5. At the end remote from the respective adjacent front leg ia, each tenon 32 is fixed to one end of a leaf spring 34, the other end of which is secured to the respective side member of the seat frame 3a so that the tenons 32 may be brought out of engagement with the front legs la by the springs 3i; being acted upon. When mounting the seat, the ends of the pins 32 projecting from the sides of the seat are pressed inwards with the fingers when the front end of the seat is tilted down between the front legs la, whereupon the ends of the tenons are allowed to slide against the insides of the front legs during tilting of the seat yinto its position of use, until the tenons on arrival at the holes 33 in the front legs la, snap into said holes and lock the seat in its position of use.

fn the arrangement according to Figs. 12 to 14 it is of course possible to conceive other locking means than tenons 32 attached to leaf springs 3i to engage holes 33 in the front legs la. For

instance, screws mounted in the side members of the seat frame 3a may be substituted for the tenons 32 and the leaf springs 34, the ends of which screws are screwed out of the sides of the seat into holes 33 provided in the front legs la, after the seat has been tilted down into bearing engagement with the transverse bar 30.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. Sitting furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart side frames, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, a rst set of interengaging means on said side frames and said back for supporting said back between said side frames, said interengaging means allowing disengagement of said back from said side frames by moving said back upwardly in relation to said side frames, a seat between said side frames, downwardly facing bearing surface means on the rear portion of said seat, upwardly facing bearing surface means on said back, said bearing surface means facing one another and abutting each other for supporting the rear portion of said seat by means of said back only, upwardly facing locking surface means on the rear portion of said seat, downwardly facing locking surface means on said side frames, said locking surface means facing one another and abutting each other for locking the rear portion of said seat and said back against upward movement to disengage said back from said side frames, the engagement between said bearing surface means and said locking surface means on said seat, said back and said side frames allowing vertical swinging movements of the front portion of said seat, and a second set of interengaging means on the front portions of said seat and said supporting frame for supporting said seat directly by said supporting frame at the front only, said second set of interengaging means allowing disengagement of said seat from said supporting frame by swinging the front end of said seat upwards in relation to said supporting frame.

2. Sitting furniture comprising a pair of Vspaced apart side frames, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, a first set of interengaging means on said side frames and said back for supporting said back between said side frames and rigidly interlocking said side frames at the rear by means of said back, said interengaging means allowing disengagement of Said back from said side frames by moving said back upwardly in relationy to said side frames, a seat between said side frames, downwardly facing bearing surface means on the rear portion of said seat, upwardly facing bearing surface means on said back, said bearing surface means facing one another and abutting each other for supporting the rear portion of said seat by means of said back only, upwardly facing locking surface means on the rear portion of said seat, downwardly facing locking surface means on said side frames, said locking surface means facing one another and abutting each other for locking the rear portion of said seat and said back against upward movement to disengage said back from said side frames, the engagement between said bearing surface means and said locking surface means on said seat, said back, and said side frames allowing Vertical swinging movements of the front portion of said seat, and a second set of interengaging means on the front portions of said seat and said side frames for supporting said seat directly by said side frames at the front only, said second set of interengaging means allowing disengagement of said seat from said side frames by swinging the front end of said seat upwards in relation to said side frames.

3. Sitting furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart side frames, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, a iirst set of interengaging means on said side frames and said back for supporting back between said side frames, said interengaging means allowing disengagement of said back from said side frames by moving said back upwardly in relation to said side frames, a Seat between said side frames, downwardly facing bearing surface means on the rear portion of said seat, upwardly facing bearing surface means on said back, said bearing surface means facing one another and abutting each other for supporting the rear portion of said seat by means of said back only, projecting ears on the rear portion of said seat, inwardly projecting ears on the inner sides of said side frames, said ears on said side frames gripping over said ears on said seat for locking the rear portion of said seat and said back against upward movement to disengage said back from said side frames, the engagement between said bearing surface means and said ears on said seat, said back, and said side frames allowing vertical swinging movements of the front portion of said seat, and a second set of interengaging means on the front portions of said seat and said supporting frame for supporting said seat directly by said supporting frame at the front only, said second set of interengaging means allowing disengagement of said seat from said supporting frame by swinging the front end of said seat upwards in relation to said supporting frame.

4. Sitting furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart side frames, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, a rst set of interengaging means on said side frames and said back for supporting said baci; between said side frames, said interengaging means allowing disengagement of said back from said side frames by moving said back upwardly in relation to said side frames, a seat between said side frames, downwardly facing bearing surface means on the rear portion of said seat, upwardly facing bearing surface means on` said back, said bearing surface means facing one another and abutting each other for supporting the rear portion of said seat by means of said back only, upwardly facing locking surface means on the rear portion of said seat, downwardly facing locking surface means on said side frames, said locking surface means facing one another and abutting each other for locking the rear portion of said seat and said back against upward movement to disengage said back from said side frames, the engagement between said bearing surface means and said locking surface means on said seat, said back, and said side frames a1- lowing vertical swinging movements of the forward portion of said seat, a second set of interengaging means on the front portions of said seat and said supporting frame for supporting said seat directly by said supporting frame at the front only, said second set of interengaglng means allowing disengagement of said seat from said supporting frame by swinging the front end of said seat upwards in relation to said supporting frame and locking means for holding the front portion of said seat against vertical swinging movements in relation to said supporting frame.

5. Sitting furniture having a supporting frame comprising a pair of spaced apart side frames, a transverse bar extending between said side frames adjacent the front edges thereof, a first set of interengaging means on said side frames and said transverse bar for supporting said transverse bar between said side frames and rigidly interlocking said side frames at the front by means of said transverse bar, a back between said side frames at the rear thereof, a second set of interengaging means on said side frames and said back for supporting said back between said side frames and rigidly interlocking said side frames at the rear by means of said back, said interengaging means allowing disengagement of said back from said side frames by moving said back upwardly in relation to said side frames, a seat between said side frames, downwardly facing bearing surface means on the rear portion of said seat, upwardly facing bearing surface means on said back, said bearing surface means facing one another and abutting each other for supporting the rear portion of said seat by means of said back only, upwardly facing locking surface means on the rear portion of said seat, downwardly facing locking surface means on said side frames, said locking surface means facing one another and abutting each other for locking the rear portion of said seat and said back against upward movement to disengage said back from said side frames, the engagement between said bearing surface means and said locking surface means on said seat, said back, and said side frames allowinfr vertical swinging movements of the front portion of said seat towards and away from a position in which the front portion of said seat rests on said transverse bar for supporting said seat directly by said supporting frame at the front only, and a third set of interengaging means on said seat and said supporting frame for holding the front portion of said seat resting on said transverse bar.

FOLKE OHLSSON.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 898,668 Middleton Sept. 15, 1908 1,278,491 Metzger Sept. 10, 1918 1,297,036 Tauber et al Mar. l1, 1919 1,558,216 Bachmann Oct. 20, 1925 1,674,220 Percival June 19, 1928 1,699,255 Swanson Jan. 15, 1929 2,466,204 Brown Apr. 5, 1949 2,550,361 Lofgren Apr. 24, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 228,713 Great Britain Feb. 12, 1925 

